The deal would be signed “in a couple of months (or) it might take a bit longer,” Chief Executive Stephen Elop said in a meeting with Finnish journalists.

Nokia’s smartphone competitors will be interested to see what the finalised deal represents – given the fact that Nokia has been given exclusive access to the Windows Phone 7 platform – as Microsoft’s OEM partners are restricted from building on top of the operating system.

Microsoft has said that it will make additions to the platform public to remain competitive and deliver innovation. We expect to see some of the first Nokia Windows Phone 7 devices from October.